Definitions of improvers and mixes

In Germany, generally accepted standards for improvers and mixes are regulated in the “Leitsätze für Brot und Kleingebäck” (guidelines for bread and morning goods). The “Lebensmittelverband Deutschland” (Food Federation Germany), previously “Bund für Lebensmittelrecht und Lebensmittelkunde e. V.” (German Federation for Food Law and Food Science), described the improvers in its guideline as follows: “Improvers are mixes of foodstuffs including additives and processing aids which are intended to make the production of baked goods easier and simpler, to balance the changing processing properties of the raw materials and to influence the quality of the baked goods.” These are preparations in flour form, paste form or liquid form which are added based on flour, with a quantity of addition of <10 %, mainly 1 – 5 %.

Basic raw materials for baking correspond to the definition given for improvers, over and above, have a value and/or taste-defining percentage of the baked goods, e.g. fillings, flavourings and glazes. Raw materials, such as milled grain products, sugar, eggs, fats, dried fruits, spices, yeast, raising agents and anti-caking agents and spreading agents, do not belong to the improvers.

“Mixes are calculated as flour and have a quantity of addition from 10 to 100 %. Manufactured in flour form or paste form, these are preparations from milled grain products and other raw materials such as, for example, seeds, sugar, fats and improvers which are intended to make the production process easier and to balance fluctuations in raw materials. By individual applications and recipe compilations, mixes form the basis of numerous recipe and baked goods ideas.”